I wouldn't move Donald to DE, I don't think he'll have the same impact. We need another DE to replace losing Long, as soon as you have another decent DE you'll see Quinn and Donald's numbers go up. I
I would not advocate that AD pick up his belongings & totally move from his 3 technique DT post either but moving AD around to seek to probe weak pass protection OL'ers helps to create havoc in the pre planned blocking schemes to neutralize AD by the OL at the DT position. DT Easley is a very good 3 technique DT so you not going to loose too much with AD lining up in another DL post.
I agree you fully on the need for a PASS RUSHING DE. What we do not need is more DE's like Eugene Sims or Matt Longacre or Wm Hayes or Ethan Westbrooks who all are generally good at all the requirements but non have very good pass rushing skills like a Quinn or a Little had. The key is maintain your outside pass rush threat by any means here.
For the first time all season, Donald was anonymous on Sunday against the Pats which may or may not have had something to do with the fact that Quinn didn't play at all on Sunday.
Your thought is close on target but I would look at it this way & emphasize the fact that RDE Eugene Sims was the starter @ RDE, & point directly at him as the main reason the Pats could double & triple up on AD with little fear that Sims could threaten Brady in the least bit in the pass rush area. Sims has shown over & over thru the yrs that when he starts in place of Quinn he is nothing more than a neutralized player from the moment the ball is in the hands of the QB. If you think I am wrong see if you can find any evidence that he started @ RDE last Sunday in the stats.
Penetration up the middle is better than the edge. Donald should stay inside. Also Quinn was playing great at the beginning of the year before getting hurt. He's an All Pro, you don't take him off the field for an experiment. He's been a leader in FF since he's been playing, including the games he's missed.
I would say both are important because giving a QB a right or left outside wing to maneuver around in is just as deadly. Point is Easley is our best pass rusher outside AD at the moment if your fielding a weak pass rushing team at both DE posts the ripple effect causes bad outcomes as we have seen now for several months.
I would not agree fully with you on your assessment of Quinn's play early in the season. I thought he played his best 2 games in game 2 &3 of the season. Since the 3rd game against Tampa Bay game he has been very soft in his performance & is light years in distance away from any 2016 all pro consideration. What I see is in Quinn is a DE who is worn down & unhealthy from his 6 seasons of wear. I see no evidence that Quinn can play fulltime or for a full season any longer. Modifications will be needed to have at least 1 outside pass rushing treat week by week during regular season.
He did have back surgery last year, and I'm not sure he's been playing at 100% health this year. Couple that with a couple of missed games for assorted other injuries, and that might explain it. Not to mention, nobody, including the present coaching staff, seems to care that he is blatantly held on almost every play and somehow the guilty OL of the other team never get called for it.I'll agree he's having down year, but I don't want to jump to too many conclusions just yet.
Quinn playing healthy.....most likely not since 2014 season has Quinn played healthy. Quinn is about to conclude two back to back
UNHEALTY seasons with a various many different ailments & issues. Body Damage has taken an early toll in 6 NFL seasons. Your right, I also am
at the refs for turning their eyes away from ongoing holding & hands to the face molestations being
committed on Quinn while lasering in on GROB nick picking every play with their hand on the red flag before the ball is snapped. Nothing agitates :rant:me more on Sundays & its been ongoing now for years. Many will say its just child like whining I say its blatant
. If Quinn is capable of playing this week maybe a short term solution is to use Longacre instead of Sims on run downs & use Quinn on a limited role in probable passing situation to help him out some on the wear & tear. But Gregg does not do this.
The standard Gregg RDE rotations is where Sims comes in for a series of downs or a complete series & Sims finds himself playing on many passing situations...that is a proven non effective plan. Quinn come in & ends up playing on series with large amount's of running downs. IMO you change your rotation specifically @ RDE on the probable upcoming offensive play. As far as to jumping to conclusions....doing the same thing season after season @ RDE in order to not to look like your jumping to conclusions when something has not worked in two seasons???? Some jumping is mandated when you end up concluding your teams 5th losing season in a row. Jumping to conclusions to end up at the right conclusion is the ideal way to jump
.
Bottom Line here .... Its highly important to have at least one pass rushing capable DE on the field to maximize AD inside.
Rams have only one pass rushing DE & that's Quinn. I would change what they have been doing & go into a special plan for the rest of this season of ensuring Quinn, Donald & Easley are on the field in all passing situations this appear to me would mean making every attempt to save Quinn from all the HD run downs. Let Westbrooks, Longacre & a little Sims get all that run action & preserve as best as you can for Quinn best talent & skill....the pass rush. Without a healthy pass rushing threat from Quinn this defense turns mushy & weak.
